I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed : Emily Dickinson's Nature Mysticism

^{(Click anywhere on garden diagram below to go that section of the labyrinth)}

Circuit II - (11) I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed (J-0214) (F-0207)

⁽¹⁾ I taste a liquor never brewed,
From tankards scooped in pearl;
⁽²⁾ Not all the vats upon the Rhine
Yield such an alcohol!

⁽³⁾ Inebriate of air am I,
And debauchee of dew,
⁽⁴⁾ Reeling, through endless summer days,
From inns of molten blue.

⁽⁵⁾ When landlords turn the drunken bee
Out of the foxglove's door,
⁽⁶⁾ When butterflies renounce their drams,
I shall but drink the more!

⁽⁷⁾ Till seraphs swing their snowy hats,
And saints — to windows run,
⁽⁸⁾ To see the little tippler
Leaning against the sun!

~ Emily Dickinson

Commentary adapted from Emily Dickinson's Poems & Letters

^(1-4) "I can wade grief, whole pools of it — I'm used to that. But the
least push of joy breaks up my feet, and I tip — drunken."
~ (J-0251) (F-0312)

⁽²⁾ "Many cross the Rhine in this cup of mine." ~ (J-0123) (F-0107)

⁽³⁾ "A flask of dew — a bee or two — a breeze —
a caper in the trees — and I'm a rose!" ~ (J-0019) (F-0025)

^(3-4) "Write me how many notes there be In the new Robin's ecstasy
among astonished boughs — how many trips the Tortoise makes —
how many cups the Bee partakes, the Debauchee of Dews!"
~ (J-0128) (F-0140)

^(3-6) "Drunkards of summer are quite as frequent as drunkards
of wine, and the bee that comes home sober is the butt
of the clover." ~ (L #838)

^(4-8) "Oh, sacrament of summer days — Oh, last communion in the
haze, permit a child to join!" ~ (J-0130) (F-0122)

⁽⁵⁾ "His oriental heresies exhilarate the bee . . . intoxicated
with the peace surpassing revelry, he spends the evening of his
days in blissful revery, recounting nectars he has known."
~ (J-1526 alternate version) (F-1562)

^(5-6) "The bees, from clover rows
their hock, and sherry, draw." ~ (J-0134) (F-0092)

^(5-6) "We — Bee and I — live in the quaffing — 'Tisn't all hock
with us, life has its ale." ~ (J-0230) (F-0244)

⁽⁸⁾ "Thank her dear power for having come. An
avalanche of sun!" ~ (L #755)

^(1-8) (Emily Dickinson's Brandy Fruitcake Recipe)
2 pounds Flour –
2 Sugar –
2 Butter –
19 Eggs –
5 pounds Raisins –
1 1/2 Currants –
1 1/2 Citron –
1/2 pint Brandy –
1/2 – Molasses –
2 Nutmegs [teaspoons] –
5 teaspoons Cloves – Mace – Cinnamon –
2 teaspoons Soda –
Beat Butter and Sugar together –
Add Eggs without beating – and beat the mixture again –
Bake 2 1/2 or three hours, in Cake pans,
or 5 to 6 hours in Milk pan, if full –
~ (L #835a)

Search Pop-up English Dictionary for: ^{WordNet and Webster's 1913 Dictionary}

Search by Hyperdictionary.com

Prev | Index | Next | Emily Dickinson's Herbarium
Photo Credit: earlywomenmasters.net